Release Fenrir

That couldn't be possible! Fenrir was supposed to be safe until Ragnarok. How could they plan to kill her before her time? And to make it worse, this wasn't their own doing—it was a direct order from Odin. Something was terribly wrong here.

What are they talking about?!

The other gods stood behind their comrade, their expressions stern.

"We received orders from Odin himself," Hord began to explain. "Someone has tampered with your fate, steering it in an unpredictable direction. It's better not to take any risks and kill you now."

Someone tampered with fate? But who? Was it me? Or was it Loki's doing?

Hojlund began stepping toward Fenrir, his sword drawn, poised to strike her neck.

"The mighty wolf, daughter of Loki, Fenrir. Any last words?"

Fenrir's sharp grin remained unfazed, showing not a trace of fear on her face.

"Fuck you!" she spat.

Everything happened so quickly that I didn't have time to think. The moment I saw Hojlund's blade about to decapitate Fenrir, my body moved instinctively.

"Kaaakh!"

I charged forward and transformed into a tiger, claws and fangs bared, ready to strike. I couldn't bear to watch Fenrir suffer any longer. This wasn't her time, not yet. I still wanted to be by her side, to give her more moments of happiness.

"Graaaah!"

My roar seemed to catch them off guard, just enough to halt Hojlund's sword.

Their brief lapse in focus gave me the chance to tackle Hojlund, using my weight to pin him into the snowy ground. His sword flew from his hand, landing far from him.

I bit and clawed at him with all my strength, but I hadn't realized how tough his skin was—it felt like biting into armor, and my jaw ached from the effort.

Meanwhile, Hojlund struggled to throw me off, and the other two gods looked shocked at my transformation.

"He's... he's a shapeshifter!"

"Damn you, Fenrir! How dare you give a rune to such a lowly creature!"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Fenrir looking at me with an expression that was hard to read. Was it concern? Pity? Recklessness? Or maybe even pride? I couldn't tell.

There was no time to dwell on it. My focus had to be on protecting Fenrir and dealing with these gods. Fortunately, they weren't major gods, which gave me a bit of confidence that I could put up a fight.

I growled fiercely and continued trying to wound Hojlund, though his iron-like skin resisted every strike.

"Hold on, brother Hojlund! We'll help you soon!" one of the other gods shouted.

"Ugh... there's no need."

Suddenly, I felt Hojlund's iron grip on me, tightening painfully. I winced as I realized just how strong he was.

"Graaaah."

Before I knew it, Hojlund had lifted me effortlessly onto his shoulder. With a brutal motion, he slammed me into the ground, scattering snow in every direction.

I groaned in pain, feeling some of my ribs crack from the impact. I couldn't believe that a single slam had broken part of my ribcage.

Clearly, even though these gods were nameless, they were still gods. There was no way I could match their immense strength.

In the distance, I could hear Fenrir's worried scream.

"Stop! Don't hurt him!" she yelled, her voice full of concern. "Isn't it me you want? Come here, you bastards!"

But it seemed the gods had lost interest in Fenrir and were more determined to deal with me first. Ignoring her words, they strode toward me with arrogant confidence.

"You little shapeshifter," Hojlund sneered, delivering a harsh kick to my side. "Did you really think you could defeat us with just a worthless rune, huh?"

I glared at Hojlund, who now loomed over me with a cruel, bullying grin.

Damn it, what should I do now?!

His two companions joined him, circling around me like vultures eager to pick apart their prey.

"What should we do with him?"

"Let's teach him a lesson for daring to attack us," Hojlund chuckled darkly. "We'll make sure he regrets it."

Their words sent a chill down my spine. These gods wouldn't hesitate to hurt or even kill anyone who stood in their way. And it was obvious I wasn't a match for them.

"Run, Yata!" Fenrir's sharp warning jolted me out of my thoughts, reminding me to flee before they could torture or kill me.

Seizing the distraction, I shifted back into a raven and attempted to escape into the sky. The sight of their surprise was a small victory.

But before I could soar far, a fist-sized rock shot through the air, striking my wing, leaving it limp and sending me spiraling down.

"You thought you could get away that easily, you pathetic creature!" one of the gods taunted.

I quickly scrambled up, flapping my wings again, desperately trying to take off once more. But just as I managed to get a meter into the air, Hojlund's hand grabbed me, yanking me back down with a firm grip.

"Got you! You thought you could run after scratching up my face, you damn bird!"

He squeezed my wing tightly, as though trying to break it, and I screeched in pain.

"Kraaak... kraaak..."

"How does that feel, huh? Hurts, doesn't it? Hahahaha..." Hojlund laughed maliciously as he reveled in my cries of agony. "That's what you get for daring to scratch my face!"

Amidst Hojlund's brutal torment, a furious voice interrupted his actions.

"What are you doing? How dare you hurt him! Let him go! It's me you want, isn't it? Don't you dare lay a hand on him!"

It was clearly Fenrir, still bound behind them. Unfortunately, I couldn't see her face, blocked by Hojlund's massive body.

The three gods chuckled at Fenrir's threat, clearly finding it amusing, given her current helpless state.

"Hey, brother Hojlund. What do you think about torturing and killing this creature in front of her before we deal with her?" suggested Svart, the stocky one, with a cruel grin.

"That's a great idea, Svart," Hord, the lanky one, chimed in. "I can't wait to see her desperate face as we kill the pet that tried to protect her right in front of her eyes."

I was speechless, horrified by their words. Forget morality—these gods were worse than I had imagined.

"Kraaak..."

A cold chill ran down my spine. This wasn't just an empty threat or a joke. They were seriously considering torturing and killing me.

"Khaaak...khaaak."

My heart raced as I struggled against Hojlund's grip, but it was futile. My strength faded quickly, and I could feel my wings growing weak and numb.

"Calm down, little bird," Hojlund said, a cruel smile on his face. "You won't be needing those wings anymore."

At that moment, Fenrir's voice rang out again, filled with even greater anger than before. "You coward! How dare you harm a weak creature that can't even fight back!"

But her words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"I told you to be quiet!" Hord shouted at Fenrir before turning back to me. "Alright, little bird, since our dear princess is so worried about you, let's have some fun before we kill you."

I tried once more to break free from Hojlund's grip, but it was hopeless. He was too strong, and there was no way out now. They laid my body right before Fenrir before commencing their moral degradation.

"Let's start with your beautiful black feathers," Svart said with a mischievous grin that sent chills down my spine.

As he began to pluck my feathers one by one, I couldn't help but scream in agony at the torment they inflicted.

"Khaaak...khaaak."

The pain was excruciating as each feather was mercilessly ripped from my wings. I felt warm blood dripping onto my skin, flooding my body with dark crimson.

However, more painful than the physical agony was the mental suffering. Our feathers weren't just for display; they were an essential part of our existence. They kept us warm, helped us fly, and served as symbols of our identity and pride.

I could no longer hold back my tears as I screamed in pain and humiliation. My once magnificent wings had become tattered, bloodied remnants.

"Stop this madness! What's the point of this other than satisfying your twisted pleasure?!"

Yet, my cries seemed muffled by their cruel game, as they continued to pluck more feathers with each passing moment. Finally, they grew bored of their torture and released me from Hojlund's grip. I crumpled to the ground, too weak to stand or fly. Hord stepped forward with a satisfied expression on his face after having plucked most of my feathers.

As I lay on the ground, gasping for breath, covered in blood and my own feathers, I felt my strength slowly fading. My once-glorious wings were now torn and soaked in blood.

Even in that state, I couldn't tear my gaze away from Fenrir. She was still struggling, writhing tirelessly, trying to break free from Gleipnir's shackles, fully aware it was a futile effort.

"Stop all this! Let him go! He has nothing to do with this!" Fenrir continued to scream, desperately trying to persuade them to spare me.

I could see her golden eyes, usually sharp and fierce, now filled with tears. Whether it was because she didn't want to be left alone or because she couldn't bear to see me suffer further, I couldn't tell.

I wanted to help and comfort her. But I was powerless and weak; even now, I couldn't escape the grasp of these immoral gods.

"Now that we've had our fun, let's finish this," Hord said with a sharp grin. He drew his sword toward me. "I'll split you in two. Don't worry, it won't hurt."

My heart raced at his words. I knew what was coming next—my end.

"No! Stop!"

Fenrir screamed hysterically again, realizing my fate was sealed. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see what would happen to me.

As Hord's sword neared me, Hojlund's piercing voice suddenly interrupted him. "Wait, Hord!!"

Hord looked at Hojlund in bewilderment. "Why are you stopping me, brother?"

Hojlund grinned while glancing at Fenrir, who had her eyes tightly shut. Hord, realizing his brother's intent, quickly nodded and grinned as well.

"Oh, I see," Hord said, nodding. "I understand what you mean, brother."

I watched as Hojlund walked toward Fenrir, wondering what he intended to do with her.

"Aaargh."

I gasped when I saw him roughly yank Fenrir's hair. He forced her to witness my death at their hands.

"Hey, bitch! Open your eyes and see the fate of your beloved pet!"

I felt a surge of emotion as I watched Hojlund cruelly force Fenrir to witness my demise. My heart was filled with rage, sorrow, and a burning desire for revenge against these immoral gods.

But amidst all this emotion, one thing blazed in my heart, a resolve. A resolve to stop this madness, a resolve to save someone, a resolve to protect her, and a resolve to eliminate all obstacles in my way.

I knew I had to do something, anything, to change and rid myself of the gods' selfishness. With the remaining strength I had, I transformed into a snake and slithered toward Hojlund as fast as I could.

"Damn bird!" Hord cursed, caught off guard. "Looks like he still has some energy left!"

As I reached Hojlund, I used my power to transform back into a human.

Bukk.

"Aaaargh."

I struck Hojlund's jaw with all my might, sending him stumbling backward. Still, my hand felt numb; it seemed a few of my finger bones had broken from the impact.

"Why are you here?! Go away, stupid bird! Don't worry about me!"

"Be quiet! I will free you from Gleipnir!"

"Impossible! You can't do that! Get out of here, or they'll kill you! Besides, how do you plan to free me from this damn chain?!"

I ignored Fenrir's warnings. With trembling hands, I pulled out the small knife Loki had given me earlier.

"Trust me…"

Fenrir looked at me in disbelief. I couldn't understand what she was thinking right now. But one thing was clear: I would do my best to free her, no matter the cost.

With a swift slash, I managed to cut through all the Gleipnir chains that had bound Fenrir. I freed her from those cursed shackles.

"Break free from your chains, great wolf, Fenrir!"

A blinding flash of light erupted from the severed Gleipnir chains. The ground trembled, signifying Fenrir's release from the powerful bonds that had restrained her. An aura of immense and terrifying power radiated from Fenrir's body.

I didn't care about the consequences of disturbing the destiny that had been neatly woven by Yggdrasil. I just wanted to save this girl who had always been constrained and suffering. She deserved freedom and happiness.

"Thank you."

I stood silently, not answering. My lips curved into a sincere smile upon seeing Fenrir liberated from her shackles. The girl embraced me warmly, as if she had been waiting long for that moment.

"What is that damn bird doing?!" Hord yelled in anger. "Doesn't he realize what kind of monster he has unleashed?!"

Fenrir gazed at the wounds that adorned my body with a sorrowful look.

"You did your best. Now, it's my turn to save you, Yatagarasu."

I closed my eyes, letting the darkness engulf my consciousness. I was too exhausted to witness what happened next. Now, it was Fenrir's turn to rampage to her heart's content.